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Thread: The Death Valley Germans

  1. #1

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    The Death Valley Germans

    Since questions are often posted about Death Valley travel, I thought I'd post a link to a fascinating series written by the person who spent years and many trips searching for 4 Germans who disappeared in Death Valley. He eventually found them, or at least some of them, so don't skip to the end but follow his efforts and reasoning. I had a meeting with a ranger in the valley many years before the group was found, and as I'd always had an interest in their disappearance, I brought it up. The leading theory for that fellow was that it was staged due to financial troubles.

    The author is a fine writer. There are lessons to be learned about desert conditions and survival and thinking outside the box. He continues to hunt for a hiker missing many years in Joshua Tree.

    http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/s...alley-germans/

  2. #2
    Daniel Stone's Avatar
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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    Interesting read. I was just up in the Trona/Searles Lake area two weeks ago, doing some rockhounding/digging for ballarat marble, green marble and enjoying some time outside of city life with some friends from a local lapidary club I'm a part of. It's easy to see how people(especially most out of towners, who only know that "it's the desert, bring some water and a hat") get lost/misguided and/or stranded in that territory. After awhile, everything starts to look the same. Shadows can play weird games, and can throw one's coordination off quite easily.

    thanks for the link, he's a determined fellow, that's for sure!

  3. #3

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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    He certainly changed my mind from my knee-jerk conclusion that they were clueless.

  4. #4
    Lurker
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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing.

    David

  5. #5

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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    It made me think of a missing gal who was taken to the Browns Creek area, who was never found. We used to go up there and search on our own time.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  6. #6

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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    One of his other stories on the site is about (easily) finding a guy who walked away from Bad Water (probably suicidal) that the park service couldn't find.

    It is amazing how much effort he puts into looking for the Joshua Tree missing hiker.

  7. #7
    Joel Edmondson
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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    Really interesting... amazing perseverance! I was totally captivated by this and found it to be one of the most fascinating sites I have ever visited. Thanks for posting Kevin!

    Joel

  8. #8

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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    Very interesting, and as was mentioned, totally captivating.

    I think this story has implications and lessons for anyone who hikes, backpacks or drives into unfamiliar territory.
    Even familiar territory for that matter.

    Gary
    "People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." - H. Jackson Brown

  9. #9

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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    I read it all last night, and yes, for me the take-away was the same as described by gary892 above. Tough men (look at some of the distances they covered in one day), experienced in desert matters, careful planners, and yet they sometimes found themselves too close to the edge of--trouble, dehydration, needing food, beating the darkness to their vehicles. So, to be clear: my take-away is that I will use paved roads and roads the NPS declares open, carry a compass (and use it every few minutes) when leaving my vehicle, and keep looking behind myself to remember details of the trip I must take back to the vehicle.
    Peter Collins

    On the intent of the First Amendment: The press was to serve the governed, not the governors --Opinion, Hugo Black, Judge, Supreme Court, 1971 re the "Pentagon Papers."

  10. #10
    Drew Wiley
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    Re: The Death Valley Germans

    It's been many years since I did any significant trekking beyond the roads or trails in Death Valley, though I have taken a number of short excursions more recently. I've never used a compass (though always carried one) and obviously nothing like a GPS. Once in awhile I do manage to get temporarily lost; but one
    of my habits, and what I teach neophytes, is to frequently turn around and memorize the specific landmarks of where you came from, as well as what lies ahead. Since dunes and hummocks can indeed look different during different times of the day as the angle of the sun changes, note the alignment of distant peaks relative to one another in multiple directions. And overall, never underestimate distances, which can be very misleading in the desert, along with how much water you really need, which implies double of what you'd ordinarily plan, just in case that spring you were anticipating is missed or has run dry. You need enough fluid to get all the way back too. The same applies to driving beyond paved roads and potentially getting stuck in your vehicle. That has certainly happened to me a long long ways from anything. You want a lot of extra water and supplies with you, and ideally more than one spare tire. Smart off-roaders in
    that part of the world never travel alone, but in little 4wd convoys, so one vehicle can pull another one out if necessary, or ferry people back, unstranded.
    I came from a part of the Sierras where designated 4-wheel tracks were officially rated with a warning sign posted at the entrance. Easy or "Beginner" meant
    that somebody with a Ford Explorer or jacked-up pickup would probably be killed in a rollover (and I've seen it happen more than once). "Advanced" will be posted with something like a 2 mile per DAY speed limit and a warning that failing to walk the trail in advance of driving might be fatal. I'm not into 4-wheeling
    except to get to this or that trailhead for hiking; but all this goes to show that in any form of outdoor recreation, when in doubt first learn the ropes from someone who is experienced.

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